6 Software options for multi-vendor ecommerce sites

What is a multi-vendor ecommerce website?

Multi-vendor ecommerce website allows sellers to sell products and services through an umbrella website. They pay a small commission fee in order to access a wide range of customers.

Multi-vendor ecommerce websites are commonly known as ‘marketplace websites'. They can be standalone, such as eBay or Etsy, or part of an existing site, such as Amazon Marketplace or ASOS Marketplace.

Marketplace websites are great in many ways. They connect people with what they need and they support smaller businesses. They are an attractive business prospect, as they offer a simple and scalable business model.

However the biggest challenge facing those wishing to set up a marketplace website is simply attracting people. You need to find vendors so that you have a product to offer, and at the same time you need to attract an audience willing to buy them. It's vital that you have a website you can be proud of; one which is customisable to your personal vision, easy to use and mobile-friendly. Price is an important factor to consider, but this website will be the backbone of your business and you should not compromise on quality.

We’ve reviewed six of the best multi-vendor ecommerce software providers to help you narrow down your search:

1. Magento Marketplace

Magneto is the world’s most popular commerce platform. Their marketplace add-on offers easy solutions for clients. Their huge selection of customisable templates ensures that every website feels truly bespoke. They offer free tax calculations and automated filing, making them the perfect choice for any business owner keen to avoid getting overwhelmed with paperwork.

All currencies and languages supported, allowing your business to scale globally

Free updates

Reviews

Magento isn’t the world’s number one commerce platform for nothing. Users love its clean code and resilient structure. It offers a wide range of customisable features and is backed by a reliable support team. All in all, this is a great entry into the online multi-vendor marketplace. The developers have even implemented customer suggestions into Marketplace updates in the past. This helps to ensure that Magento remains as relevant as possible.

Price

There is a one-off download fee of £250 ($340) for Magento Marketplace. You should also note that Magento Marketplace is an extension for the Magento ecommerce platform, which you will need to have already.

2. IXXO

IXXO offers a multi-vendor service that is perfect for those looking for a reliable, all-in-one ecommerce solution. Vendors can manage their own stores and offer buyers the choice of an unlimited number of additional vendors and stores. These ‘landlords’ can even offer commission based fees as well as subscription services for using their space.

Supplier Rating: ★★★★★

Features

Excellent compatibility with Joomla, WordPress etc.. or perfect as a standalone solution

Well-optimised for mobile, allowing you to connect with a wider audience

Ability to integrate easily with social media and sell directly on Facebook

Ticket support system ensures customer disputes are resolved quickly

Compatible with huge array of payment gateways

Reviews

IXXO customers praise the product’s ease of use and reliability. With lots of customisable options, you can really drill down into the specifics of each transaction and tailor your business to the way you want to work.

Price

Prices vary depending on package size but begin at around £220 ($295) for the most basic option.

3. WordPress Marketplace Ecommerce plugin

This plug-in is designed for WordPress, and is available to buy from The Cart Press. It's a useful solution for those familiar with the popular blogging site and its easy to use features. However, as this platform requires three components it can be a little bit trickier to initially set up than other template-based solutions.

Supplier Rating: ★★★★★

Features.

Wide range of integrated payment options

Merchants can publish products straight to the marketplace

Quickly browse products by vendor

Two modes available: Etsy & Classic

Easy management and adjustment of commission rates

Reviews

The consensus among users is that you ‘need time’ to fully understand this plugin and get the most out of it. With its range of functionalities, this is potentially a very powerful tool to transform a WordPress site into your vision.

Price

The Cart Press plugin is free and The Marketplace eCommerce extension plugin is currently selling for £74 ($99).

4. CS-Cart Multi-vendor

CS-Cart’s Multi-Vendor software works with existing CS-Cart sites to provide a range of useful features for multi-vendor ecommerce. CS-Cart is a great choice for ecommerce vendors looking to start a marketplace that can grow quickly, but who want to retain a degree of administrative control over who and what sells through their store.

Supplier Rating: ★★★★★

Features

Unlimited number of vendor accounts, allowing easy scaling

Individual admin dashboards for each vendor

Strong security features offer comprehensive store protection

Configure shipping method by vendor

Clean interface makes it easy to manage what is sold in your store

Easy to track transactions and payouts with the in-depth bookkeeping tool

Reviews

CS-Cart Multi-Vendor stores offer an easy turnkey solution that works out of the box. They are user friendly and supported by resilient back-end coding and in-depth reporting. With multiple vendor order features for customers, single front-end storefronts and an unlimited amount of vendors, CS Cart Multi-Vendor features everything you could need to set up a marketplace ecommerce site.

5. Drupal Commerce

Drupal Commerce integrates with Drupal’s own content management system. It offers excellent community engagement features and in-depth reporting. It's a versatile option for vendors who want to grow their brand alongside their business.

Supplier Rating: ★★★★★

Features

Customise the look and feel of the shopping cart and page themes

Allows for easy setting up of subscriptions and regular payments

In-depth and intuitive inventory management

Wide choice of payment and shipping plugins (inc. PayPal and eWAY)

Easily track and manage transactions and payments

Easy to read sales reports

Reviews

Users have found Drupal Commerce easy to use and have praised the wide choice of customisable options. Integration with Drupal’s CMS system encourages content marketing, which plays a large part in ranking well on Google. This integration also saves time and money as vendors and their teams only need to master one set of tools.

Price

Drupal is free to download. Drupal developers are constantly creating a wide range of free and paid-for additional features.

6. Sharetribe

Sharetribe pride themselves on the simplicity of their software. New businesses can get up and running with minimum fuss. They also offer a 30 day free trial, so you can see if the Sharetribe model will work for you and your business.

Every vendor has their own profile page and can turn this into a complete storefront

Well-optimised for every screen to give a great experience to all users

Complete control over who can view, buy and sell on your site

Reviews

Sharetribe users love that the marketplace software is testable if you make any changes. It is also great for companies looking to sell overseas, and is constantly updated to further improve appearance and functionality.

Price

Prices range from around £60 ($79) per month for the most basic option, to around £180 ($239) per month for the most sophisticated package.

Next Steps

If you’re thinking of setting up an ecommerce site, then check out our article on how much a website costs for more info.

If you find the prospect of choosing a software and setting up your own marketplace website a bit daunting, or if you’re keen to get your project up and running ASAP, fill in this short form to compare quotes from trusted web designers.